You'll Always Have Tomorrow
by MeltedIceAngel
Summary: Standing over the ledge he realized he couldn't do it anymore, that is, until his clumsy night in shining armor came to save the day. [Chapter 2 from Phil's POV]
1. Dan

Dan looked over the ledge of the bridge he was perched on, tears rolling down his face as the waves of the ocean crashed harshly against the stone. The sixteen-year-old had once again been chased out of his house by a drunk father and uncaring mother. If only he could say that was out of the ordinary. It seemed like every day now his father came home hammered and his mum could have cared less as the man beat her son into a bloody mess every night.

He wish he could say he could handle it.

Daniel Howell never had any friends, never had a loving family, never had a place he could call home. It had just been him being pulled through life one step at a time with no help or guidance, no reassurance after he made a mistake or pat on the back when he accomplished something great. Not that he'd ever really done anything great with what little of life he'd lived. His grades were mediocre at best, he didn't have a job, no ambition. He was essentially worthless and there was no one on God's Green Earth that would tell him otherwise.

"No one would care." He whispers to himself as he lifted himself to his feet, bringing the tips of his shoes to the edge of the ledge. He was getting _out._ The brunette shook as the tears continued to fall, some slipping off his face down into the harsh waters below. It made him wonder how it would feel once he hit the water. Would the fall kill him or would he drown? Which would he prefer? If the fall killed him it'd be over sooner but if he drowned he'd be able to savour the thought that it was _over._ That in a couple minutes all his pain would be finished. _Well, that's what the fall's for I suppose. _

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice cut through the silence, causing Dan to jump harshly. The brunette looked over toward the voice and caught sight of a tall, black haired man. Clad in a flannel jacket, black skinny jeans, and black converse with his hair parted toward the right side of his face. Dan felt a strange sense of deja vu cloud his brain as he analyzed the stranger. He could have sworn on his life that he'd known the man from somewhere.

"Do I know you?" Dan's voice shook, his hands finding their way into his pockets.

"No." The man said. "Not yet anyway." He said quieter. Dan was confused by this. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean, not yet?" The man smiled, his eyes falling toward the ground.

"It doesn't matter. Now, why don't you tell me what you're doing." He said, causing Dan to look back over the edge. _Ending my sorry fucking excuse for a life. Getting out of here and away from my dad and mum. Getting away from the constant bullying and harassment at school. _

"Making it better." Dan said, letting his shoe ghost across the ledge. _Just do it!_

"I promise this isn't what you want to do." The man said, taking a hesitant forward. Dan rolled his eyes, turning back toward him.

"Oh yeah? How could you possibly know that?" Dan didn't mean to raise his voice, but he couldn't stand when people tried to tell him what was best for him. This person didn't even know him! He couldn't possibly understand all the things that he'd gone through in his life.

"I know how you feel." He replied, his long fingers going to play with the strings on his jacket. "Like you're alone in the world, that no one loves you and no one ever will, that no one would care." Dan sucked in a deep breath, his eyes shooting back toward the ground. "You have a horrible home life I'm going to assume from the bruises and the fact you're out here at three a.m. alone." Dan felt the tears coming on again as the man listed off exactly how he'd felt his entire life. _Maybe he does understand._

"How did you know?" Dan whispered, their eyes locking as Dan hesitantly brought his gaze back up from the waters below.

"Lucky guesser I suppose." He shrugged. "Listen, I promise you that you don't want to do this. Everything from this point on is going to get so much better. I mean, think about it! Maybe you'll find a crazy YouTuber and become best friends, move into a flat together, make a YouTube channel of your own, and just live your life on Tumblr." Dan chuckled and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"As if. Who'd ever be interested in listening to a nobody like me?" Dan asked, his gaze having not left the other's.

"You're worth a lot more than you think, you know?" He said, walking over and seating himself next to Dan's legs. The other patted the space next to him and Dan hesitated only slightly before sitting down next to the man.

"How would you know? You just met me." Dan asked, fiddling lightly with his hands. The man grasped the brunette's hands in his, Dan looking down that their now entwined hands in slight shock.

"Look at me," he said, smiling as Dan's gaze met his once again. "I just do. There's just something about you that tells me that." Dan smirked, his gaze once again fluttering away until it found the other's again.

"What's your name?" Dan asked.

"Phil." Phil responded, smiling gently at the other. Dan nodded and pulled out his phone, handing it to the other.

"Put your number in. I think I want to get to know you a little better." Dan said, Phil chuckling lightly. The other put his number in quickly before handing the phone back and lifting himself off the ledge.

"I should probably go." Phil said, checking the time on his watch. Dan nodded and lifted himself up as well.

"I'm going to see you again, right?" Dan asked, his hands once again finding their way into his pockets. Phil nodded.

"Of course you will. Goodnight, danisnotonfire." Phil said, turning his back to the younger and walking away. Dan stood still watching as Phil walked away, and if he had seen the other fade into the night, he would pretend he hadn't.

**If any of you are wondering Phil is present day Phil and Dan is past Dan.**


	2. Phil

There was something about the way he just felt wrong as he walked through the streets, like he was a piece of a puzzle shoved in the wrong space. Maybe even the wrong puzzle entirely. It was the way the watch on his right hand seemed to tick away time rather than just tell him what time it was. It was the way that newspaper sat on the diner counter said _February 10, 2007 _rather than _February 10, 2014_.

Phil all but ran to the small diner's bathroom, slamming one of the cubicle doors open. The second his knees connected to the harsh cold of the tile, he heaved, throwing up everything he had eaten in the past day. His head was spinning and his body ached as he lay against the toilet seat. The twenty seven year old could bet his life on the fact when he had woken up that morning it had been 2014. That his best friend had been still sleeping in his room while Phil made coffee and cereal, settling down on the couch and pulling up endless Tumblr tabs.

He could also bet his life on the fact he couldn't even remember how he got here. Sitting on the couch one minute, in a completely different time and area the next. That's how it went with nothing in between.

Phil took another glace at the watch, it's largest hand set on the one hour mark. The watch had points set for an hour, forty-five minutes, thirty minutes, ten minutes, and one minute. If only he knew what the damn thing was counting down for, he might be able to get a move on with whatever it is he was supposed to do.

Deciding it was pointless to sit around wallowing in self pity, Phil stood shakily off the ground and walked back into the main part of the diner. Sitting down at the counter, he ordered a black coffee in an attempt to chase away the lingering drowsiness left by his panic attack earlier. The woman serving him tried many times to start a conversation with him but the black haired man couldn't bring himself to reply to anything she said. The last thing he cared about was the weather or some football game on the telly. Not only did he have the watch to worry about, but he had Dan. Phil had no idea where his friend was or if he was okay. It's possible the younger hadn't joined him on this little adventure but if he had, where was he?

Dropping a few bills down on the counter and pulling his plaid jacket over his shoulders, Phil walked out of the diner. He didn't have a clue where to go or what to do. It was clear that the older would be wandering around for quite a while.

"Excuse me," Phil said, coming up behind a middle aged man who had been walking the darkened streets. He turned and gave the taller an irritated look. "Could you tell me the time?"

"2:24 a.m." He replied, immediately walking away.

"Thanks. I guess." Phil responded, continuing on his straight path toward what looked to be a seldom used bridge. If he remembered correctly, he and his old friends from primary school used to spend some time on said bridge. Maybe a little time staring at the sea would give him even the slightest clue what to do.

Phil walked silently through the streets and woods, his mouth twisted upward in a small smile as he recalled Dan's fear of the dark. His poor friend would probably be dead if he were out here with him. Phil threw his hand to his chest and it constriced harshly, tears threatening to pool from his eyes. Everything inside the black haired man was screaming _Dan_ but there wasn't anything he could do to help him. Hell, he didn't even know if he was here with him!

And that's when he found him.

There, standing on the ledge was his best friend, far younger than even the day they had met. He could see the younger shaking as he brought his shoes to the ledge, one tipping slightly off the ledge as if he was testing if he could really do it. Seeing that, seeing Dan about to give up triggered something inside of Phil. It triggered some form of understanding; he knew what he was here to do now.

"What do you think you're doing?" Phil asks, his heart almost stopping as Dan jumped. Knowing their luck, Dan could've just jumped right off the edge.

"Do I know you?" He asked, his face red and tear stained. The question of whether or not to tell him was impossible to answer, and quickly, Phil decided to play the random stranger just passing through card.

"No." Sort of anyway. "Not yet anyway." They had spent the next ten minutes just talking, and within that time, Phil had managed talked Dan off the ledge. The relief he'd felt when the younger sat down next to him was so overwhelming he could have died right then and there. Smiling lightly as Dan fished through his pockets, Phil took a slight glace at the watch, his eyes widening as he read five minutes.

"Put your number in. I think I want to get to know you a little better." Phil chuckled and entered in his current number, wanting to make sure he was there for this Dan and much as he possibly could be. Same time or not, this was his best friend and he could never leave him to hurt alone.

"I should probably go." Phil said as his watch signaled the one minute mark. He stood off the ledge, walking toward the edge of the bridge.

"I'm going to see you again, right?" Dan called after him almost desperately, like he couldn't bare the thought of not seeing the other again. Phil smiled and turned back toward the other.

"Of course you will." And with that, he continued his walk away from his friend, tears rolling down his pale cheeks. _Please be okay until you find me again._

"Are you eating my cereal again?"

**This was requested by Twinkletoes626! She also requested I do a story based on this idea where Phil goes into different points in Dan's life when he's upset and conforts him. I think I'm going to do that too :) **


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